Dim Sum at 新葡苑 – Cantonese Style

Was ridiculously hungry today… I slept in til super late…. so by the time I was up it was tea time….. which is usually between 2-4 in Taiwan… instead of going to one of my go-to places to eat… I decided to finally try out the Cantonese restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for awhile and just never went to… 新葡苑…. while the waitresses all had stinky faces and meh attitudes… the food was freshly made/steamed…. it took awhile for each dish to come out but it was definitely worth it. If you’re into small dishes and trying lots of different things, this is the place to go.  Don’t expect HUGE portions… but expect fresh, hot and yummy!

Delicious “health” tea.. which had goji, jujubes and lots of different asian herbs… naturally sweet and just delicious.

I’m hungry, please feed me…. waiting for the food was SOOOOOO frustrating because it WAS slow… but, like I said, it was worth it.

叉燒酥 which is basically.. .Char Siu Sou…. Flakey Buttery Pastry with Char Siu Pork inside…. this was the only thing I wasn’t really into… I’m not into Char Siu… and I thought the outside was too buttery for a savory dish…

Squid Ink Dumplings… this was amazing… Seafood innards and just the most delicious thin squid ink wrapper… NOM NOM NOM

Boy Choy and Mushroom, Veggie Dumplings. This was actually my favorite of the meal.

Leek Pan Fried er… bun/thing.. uhhh yumminess?!… needed  more leek/onion taste.. but the skin was crispy and delicious… the filling needed a little more ooomph

Fried Shrimp Roll… we actually ordered a steamed one but they got it wrong and gave us this instead… so we kept it, ate it and re-ordered what we wanted. I’m not a huge fried food fan, so good but not a favorite.  But that’s just personal preference.

Pork Ribs.  Sadly, while it was good, there was little meat and mostly bone :[ Sad. I LOOOOOOVE Pork Ribs at dim sum…. they need to give more, and actually give ribs WITH meat.

Chicken Feet. My favorite Dim Sum item.  It wasn’t greasy like a lot of other places.. had a nice black bean taste to it… not spicy  and just yummy. I can eat tons and tons of chicken feet for ages.

Trotters…. aka Pigs Feet… the same thing as with the Pork Ribs… a lot of bone, not a lot of meat… but I did get some good skin.. and some meat.. so it wasn’t too sad… it was a bit too sweet for my taste and it was on a bed of boiled peanuts.  I did love the addition of cilantro… I LOVE CILANTRO… it really enhanced the flavor of the pork feet…. just wish there was more meat/skin to it than just bone.

This is the steamed vegetarian tofu skin roll that they got the order wrong of before…. I had a better pic but I’m too lazy to re-upload.  This always reminds me of my dad cuz it’s his favorite dim sum dish :]

燒賣, Shu Mai… of course… it’s so typical but I love this shizz… 

After a nice walk…. I went to my fav place for boozy coffee drinks… Cafe Kitchen… got a Rum Coffee and a Jameson Whiskey Coffee… 

YAYAYAYAYAYAY… I’m a LUSH

Me after my lovely massage :]

Sushi Taro — Kaiseki & Sushi Tasting

Me and my W wanted Sushi… so after a day of work we finally decided to go find sushi. We KNEW we wanted sushi and didn’t know where to go.

THANKFULLY we met up with L and some of W’s friends and we decided on SUSHI TARO – a tiny walk up next to a CVS

Mr Octopussy says hi

So I’ve been back and forth about how to blog about out food since we both got different tastings.. So I’m gonna do it separately.  We shared our food but it’s easier to separate it.

We decided to get two different tastings.   W got the sushi tasting minus shellfish…

Sushi

Liver……. something….. and eggplant

Sashmi

Sushi

He’s so Jiro

We actually both got this soup so you can see more detail on my tasting.. except his didn’t have shellfish i it.

More sexy sushi

W totally shared his sushi with me…

Looked gross.. but very very soft and tender… W wasn’t into the texture as much.. i think it was beltfish.. but still.. NOM

More sushi sexiness..

And for the last course he got MY spicy tuna roll…

And I got the Kaiseki with wine pairing for me…

Kaiseki

Delicious aperitif sake with flower petals…

The most beautiful soft tender tofu

With a yummy pairing

Monkfish, oyster and eggplant

By this point my pairing kept coming super super late.

My Sashimi – DEEEElicious

The soup I talked about before…

Squeeze some lime…

Shrimp, fishcake, fish, etc.. YUM

SOOO GOOOOOD….. fried soba, fried fish, wasabi lotus root, squid, sweet potato, pome seeds, tomato and squid ink fried wakame.

OH and a escargot W helped open for me.

I got a yummy fish… that tasted SUPPPER sweet.. shisito pepper and then some… YUM

A duck meatball in a daikon wrap and surrounded by crabmeat. Sadly the duck meatball was COLD so  only ate around it.

I got W’s sushi in exchange for him getting my maki roll. Eel. Scallop and Salmon. <3

Next time we will try TURTLE!!!

For dessert, W picked the chocolate cake:

And I picked the chestnut cake…

YUMMMMMMMMMM. Will go back.

Oysters at Old Ebbitt Grill and a trip to the Spy Museum…

I had another relaxing weekend in DC… After watching The Ant Bully and Ramona & Beezus and half napping from bad allergies, we grabbed some yummy chicken… but I got horribly sick so we stayed in with me curled up in a ball for the longest time.  I woke up feeling SO SO much better on Saturday and we both were craving oysters… so we headed over to Old Ebbitt Grill for some raw oysters and other yummies… I had my first bus ride in DC woooo!!!

Of course as soon as we sat down at the bar – the place was PACKED – we ordered some of what we came for.  A glass of bubbly for me and a lick of the lips, we were ready

A dozen delicious Oysters

Starting Left and Clockwise…
Barcats, Battle Creek, Blue Island, Quonset Pio, Sewansecott, Wellfleets

These were delicious. Each one had some shell stuck in it but they were deliciousssss!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Fried Calamari

Ancho Chili Pepper Dipping Sauce

They were good, it’s hard to mess up fried calamari… but NO TENTACLES :[ So that made me a little sad. Didn’t try the dipping sauce since I’m not really into mayo-based sauces usually teehee…  PLUS I was busy with my choices…

Avocado Citrus Salad

Mixed Spring Greens, Clementines, Avocado, Scallions, Toasted Almonds, Gorgonzola Cheese and Citrus Vinaigrette

Totally lacking in avocado… and not sure if I saw scallions.. but the cheese was delicious and creamy, I loved the crisp fresh greens and crunchy almonds, NOM!  Sweet and slightly tart clementines MMMMMM… I asked for the vinaigrette on the sad but I guess they forgot – THANKFULLY it wasn’t too overly dressed… a bit goopy, but still good.  Definitely needed more avocado, I think I only got like 3 or 4 pieces and only one big chunk, I think only a quarter of a avocado :[ Sad.  If it’s the first thing in the name, it should be showcased atop of the salad!

Steamed Canadian Cove Mussels

PEI Mussels, Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs and a Garlic-White Wine Sauce

These were really really good :D A nice garlicky buttery wine sauce, nice fresh tomatoes and super yummy juicy mussels. NOM!  I had this as basically my main… well this and the salad.  It was a nice light fluffy meal, SOOOO delicious… I also had a nibble of W’s lunch….

He got a yummy Reuben

First Cut Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese and Thousand Island Dressing on Rye Bread

It was big and tasty. MMM fries.

Yay for LUNCH!

Afterwards, the weather was beautiful and we walked over to the Spy Museum to play!!!

We didn’t take pictures cuz we’re not supposed to, but W couldn’t stop himself from taking pics of me being silly and being a ninja spy crawling thru the shaft.

PEEEEKABOOBOO

I passed the quiet test :D I was wicked hush hush :D

We were already hungry by the end of the museum trip.. so after thinking of possibilities, from ramen to pizza to etc etc, we decided to opt for something sweet and cold first before dinner.

Caliyogurt

W’s mandarin orange commited suicide on the way back to the apt :[

We came back to Curly :D The cutie L was babysitting for the weekend. SUCH A CUTIE!

And the three of us decided to get pho for dinner!  Lots of TEEVEE, playing with Curly and just REEEE-LAXING!!!!!

Large, extra broth, extra sprouts, basil, jalapenos, with EVERYTHING – tendon, tripe, raw beef, etc… AND meat balls <3 OH HAPPY DAY!

I also had a Code Red, the first one I’ve had since Freshman year in college… like what?!… 2001 or 2002?! HAHAHAH.. it’s been awhile… W was scared I’d be off the wall, and I was….

We stayed in…. and played Uno til 4 in the morning :D BEST LIFE EVER!

Balling out at Craigie on Main, 8 Course Tasting

You guys may know by know that one of my favorite restaurants in the area is Craigie on Main.  Not really in Boston, Cambridge near MIT but still :] I still say I live in Boston even tho I live in the woods hahahah….

BTW on the way  I witnessed a crazy car crash RIGHT in front of us.  Our taxi was getting onto Storrow Drive and there was a car in front of us who got smacked COMPLETELY in the front half and 90degree’d blocking one of the exists.  HOLY CRAP.  It was so loud and I screamed haha.  Thankfully no one was, at least not obviously, hurt but it was CRAZY and mad damage to one of the cars. YIKES.  Our cabbie kept complaining about it too hahaha… “Night driving is bad for people who don’t know their way around here” lol…. YIKES.

…but yes back to the point. The topic.  The main reason why I’m blogging here this afternoon and procrastinating at work [shhh!!! Hi Boss!!] What can I say about Craigie that I haven’t yet before? It never fails to disappoint, and plus I love pig.  They have the most amazing pig tails and pig’s head :] YUM

LOVE the atmosphere…

LOVE the open kitchen

Source

hipster bartenders with the pornstaches kinda freaked me out a bit… not gonna lie… *cough

Just LOVE LOVE LOVE everything :]

So what we get drunk?
So what we smoke weed?
We’re just having fun
We don’t care who sees
So what we go out?
That’s how its supposed to be
Living young and wild and free

So why not go all out after a huge brunch and eat a 8+ Course Tasting meal :] And perhaps get a little drunk…. and minus the weed [altho it’d probably help with the consuming of all this food yeah? HA!]

Ready to gooooo gooogooooo?!… We started off with some drinks while they set up the table.  I requested a nice big corner table and we got one :] Yay! So comfy!  We did have amazingly amusing neighbors.. including a poor guy who looked like he was trying to get laid but was doing a total womp womp job. Also he inhaled the hard rolls in like 4 bites smothered in butter.. over and over again LOL, and then the long table of  loud Japs.  OMG. LOUD!  THE TEETH! HAHAHA… OH the stories I could tell about it, but onwards to more interesting things and the reason why you’re here.

Seafood Amuse Trio

I remember getting a seafood trio the first time I ever ate here so I was excited to get delicious little bites again. I LOVE restaurants that constantly change their menu and work with what they got and what’s in season. YUM. Fresh and delicious.

Squid Noodles, Nuon Cham, Toasted Garlic

I LOOOVE raw squid, these were SO good!  From the crunchy strong garlic on top to the fish sauce OMG.. it was like a little bite of Thai heaven. Happy dance in my mouth and into my belly.

Foie de Lotte [Monkfish Liver], Miso-Mustard Vinaigrette, American Sturgeon Roe

It was super creamy but all I tasted was the roe :[   They were running around in my mouth and I was busy catching them between my teeth to pop them. Salty roe taste but no monkfish liver :[ But like I said, super creamy aside from the eggs hehe.

Smoked Scottish Salmon, Buttermilk Vinaigrette

Very delicious. I love smoked fish!!!

Crispy Fried Nove Scotia Smelts
Preserved Lemon, Pickled Peppers, Squid Ink Anchoïade

I adore fried smelts. The last time I had them were when they were a special at Legal’s.. [ugh they SO need to put it permanently on their menu! ADORE!] But this was to another level. Screw the forks and knives we dug in with our fingers.  Bones and all [obviously] It was delicious. And the squid ink?! Freaking amazing!  This dish was SOOO major!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE.  I could’ve eaten a bucket full of this.. and you could dunk my shoe in that squid ink and I’d devour it.

Dayboat Cod à la Plancha
Cumin and Daikon Salad, Savory Carrot Ju

Soft flakey cod with a nice skin – a light delicious carrot jus and I LOVED the sunflower seeds. For some weird reason, sunflower seeds always remind me of the salad bar at Sizzler when I was like 4 hahaha. Is that weird? Sunflower seeds and bacon bits. OH SIZZLER lol. Do they even exist anymore? Why am I going off in so many tangents today? Maybe I am high.. HA! Kidding… but yes this fish is SOOO GOOD. Cod is always a good go-to fish if you want a nice tender mild not too fishy fish.  The salad had some nice acidity to it so I was eating it all together. MMMM and sunflower seeds. Yep, I’m back on them seeds…

Spice-Crusted Baquetta Grouper Kama
Lemon Vinegar, Tuscan Olive Oil

This was amazing!!!! You know Hamachi Kamas right? If you don’t you are a BAD READER OF MY BLOG!  I eat them at least once a week… hahaha.. but this is Baquetta Grouper… and was very similar to Hamachi, Yellowtail.  Oily, almost fatty like texture, SOOOOO tender,  so meaty, so fresh with the most amazing crust.  The crust was some of the best part :] Hahaha. I was fed the most amazing juicy delicious meaty bite with crust and meat and fat and all; YAY #spoilt

Haha on a side note, I’m one of those people that if you feed me I will eat. Bites wiggling in front of my mouth and I will CHOMP at it, no matter HOW full I am… usually even if I don’t REALLY want it… unless it’s absolutely revolting, I will ingest. One day I’m gonna be 600lbs and rolling around, until then, I will eat til I burst!

House-Made Rye Flower Casarecce
Venison and Arugula Ragoût

They make amazing fresh pastas here.. and Venison!!! YAYYY as soon as I heard venison my heart, and tummy skipped a beat. This could’ve also been my downfall to getting so full.  INHALED. Like, literally, I ate it so fast I barely breathed. SO good..  tender venison, a great sauce, beautifully made and cooked pasta… the slight bitterness of the wilted arugula, the fresh sprouts on top. OH ME OH MY!  The textures were beyond amazing.  I love with my mouth and senses feel a million things at the same time.

Crispy-Fried Pig’s Tails
Pickled Peanuts, Nuoc Cham, Cilantro

Honestly?! Is this old age?! A few years ago I downed 8 courses and then some.. two bottles of wine, last year I did the same thing and had pig’s head and etc… and now I’m ready to ass out head first in pillows after 2.5 glasses of champagne and wine and this course.  But I looooooove their pig tails.  It’s like chinese takeout in delicious gourmet fatty pig tail form.

Veal Four Ways 
Roasted Sirloin, Grilled Tongue, Braised Cheek & Sweetbreads
Kasha, Turnips, Bok Choy, Satsuma Tangerine, Pomegranate

I managed to down at least a bite or two of each taste before I called it quits.  A bit salty and heavy on the sauce for me but they were also super tender and quite delicious. MMMM sweetbreads!!!

Duck Fat Brussel Sprouts

I love duck fat. I love brussel sprouts.  And since we already had bone marrow earlier in the day and then there was my binging on delicious marrow the night before, we ordered the brussel sprouts.  They had amazing flavor and a great char, but I was kinda disappointed at how mushy they were :[ I like my brussel sprouts to still have a bite and a crunch to them.

The rest of the chops after they cut our pieces :]

Dessert Amuse:
Vermouth Jelly with Herb Granite
White Chocolate Crumbs

SOOO refreshing. It totally cleansed my palette and got me ready for dessert time!!! MMMM delicious!!!  All sorts of different textures – the cold granita, icy and herbal, the jiggly jelly and the chew of the white chocolate. Amazing.

Cajeta Crème Caramel
Candied Kumquats, Sweet Potato Croustillant

Creamy salty and a delicious sweet potato crisp on top that reminded me of thanksgiving.  Rich and delicious but also light and almost had a fluffy texture to it. Delicious.  Two bites and I was done.  Plus I was nibbling on the ice cream tart next to me ;]

Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream Tart
Bacon Chocolate Crust, Mexican Chocolate
So stuffed but I couldn’t resist and couldn’t stop licking. This was SO good, so much flavor… and while I didn’t get too much bacon this was ALL DELICIOUSNESS.  I’m such a sucker for ice cream, it was creamy, delicious, full of pecans and a bourbon taste to it. Amazing and not too sweet.  The crust was great as well… :] MMM CRUST! Best part of tarts and pies..hahahah

We both got teas and Craigie was going to give us a complimentary Whiskey tasting… which now that I think about it, would it have helped me digest better? Ah so worthless after all that food teehee.

Thanks W, mr Chefy Chef, for being a FAB foodie partner in crime this weekend – visit soon :] 

Amazing food, good company and fun times :] #foodcoma

Squid Ink Pasta with Squid Ink Wine Cream Sauce and Seafood Medley

Squid Ink Pasta
2 Servings
~ 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
~ 1/2 tsp of olive oil
~ 2 extra large eggs
~ 2 packets of squid ink [4g each]

Dump flour onto a board [or I actually kneaded it in a huge mixing bowl] and make a volcano [a cup at the top of the mound] Add in oil, eggs and squid ink. Slowly mix it together with a fork by adding in flour from the sides of the mound until it comes together. Once it’s coming together start kneading it. It’s sticky so make sure you don’t have jewelry on. I was kneading it until all was incorporated for about 20-30 minutes. And then wrap it in plastic and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to make your pasta… flour the countertop and cut the dough into fourths.

I kneaded each quarter, rolled it out super thin and flat, cut it in half and rerolled it so that each quarter produced 4 thick flat long squid ink pastas.

Boil in sea-salty water fofr about 6-7 minutes until el dente.

Squid Ink Sauce
~ 1/2 Spanish Onion
~ 4 cloves of garlic
~ 1 cup of heavy cream
~ a few glugs of white wine

Soften onions and garlic – cool down and then add the cream, the squid ink and some white wine and cook down. I soften the onions and garlic first and cool it down while i make the pasta so then when it’s cool I can start cooking it down til it’s thick and chunky. Ok, not gonna lie I added a few secret spices in it :D But that’s just for me to know and for you to eat when I make it for you – hehehehe

Seafood Medley
~ Shrimps
~ Calamari [cut into rings]
~ Scallops
~ Lump Crabmeat
~ Littlenecks
~ White Wine
~ Salt & Pepper

I first steamed the littlenecks and then pulled them out of their shells under cold water.

Chop all of the seafood into similar sizes and between sauteeing with some oil, onion and garlic. I started with the calamari than added shrimp and scallops, since the lump crab is already cooked I don’t add it in until everything is almost done and I just heat it up with a squeeze of a lemon and a splash of white wine. Don’t forget to salt&pepper!

The final products:
His

Hers

We toasted up some pita bread to dip balsamic vinegar, evoo, black pepper and some left over squid ink pasta sauce :] OH and sprinkled some chopped up fresh parsley on top :D NOM! And so pretty…..

On top of my Tapas…..

All bare with no cheeeeeseee….
I lost my poor meatballs…
They went in my belly

Sadly those were the only decent things to eat at La Nacional Tapas Bar…. Before I begin I’d like to say that our food got brought out SO fast and our table was SO small I felt like we were being forced to down everything in a half hour :[ More about that and the meatballs later….

I adore tapas… I crave it all the time, and while I know that Z has been a bit sick of them since he’s been visiting Spain so much, I LOVE THEM, and I couldn’t push down this craving….. we were choosing between a few tapas bars but after reading some decent reviews on this place after googling it and yelping it…. Z insisted we try this place.

First thing’s first, sangria. It was pretty tasty, not gonna lie – AND there’s fruit. I vaguely remember a line from a frat party back in college… something about eating the “fruit to boot”? Dangerous :D So yummy!!

The bread, carefully hidden, but not carefully enough, ghetto butter packets in the back :D The bread wasn’t bad, just sourdough, cold. Sigh, I love warm bread, more places should do it. Peer pressure.

And then they just started PILING on the dishes onto our teeny tiny table… seriously, it was kind of sad…

esparragos

white asparagus with crispy serrano & black olive tapenade

I liked the salty crispy serrano, but come on, only two pieces? The white asparagus were soggy and overcooked but the olive tapenade was pretty good.. nice olivey and salty. A little much though.

sardinas a la plancha

fresh grilled head-on sardines

These things were HUGE… Z said this is how they do in Spain but come on, THREE ginormoua sardines?!…. that’s a lot. I had a whole one, Z ate half.. I feel bad but they were just OKAY… the bones were annoying me… hahhaha I love japanese grilled fishies the most :D

boquerones

white anchovy fillets

Fresh and fishy :D Justs the way I like my anchovies.. there was a nice lemon citrus atop the anchovies which I liked – made it more refreshing.

gambas

grilled garlic shrimp

I’m so not used to seeing tapas on plain white plates.. I like the little clay pots that stay warm and the shrimp comes out sizzling hot.  I usually see chunks of garlic in the hot hot oil, but they were unidentifiable here.  Sad.  But they were pretty good… I mean how do you mess up garlicky shrimp? MMM, garlicky…

patatas bravas

tradicional fried potatos with alioli & spicy red sauce

Ok, guilty, I didn’t have any of these. I’m sorry, I’m not a potato girl remember? The alioli on it was kind of a turn off too… mayo *shivers* [altho I do enjoy a good mayo based sauce with pommes frites]  Z ate the whole plate hahaha – this is his dish he has to get at every tapas place.. just like how the next dish, I always get at every tapas place:

pimientos

fried  shisito peppers

They were tasty!!! Wish they were more hot tho… great salty crunchy peppers, nom nom nom!!!

albondigas morunas

pork & veal meatballs in pork jus

They tasted like Chef Boyardeeeeeee – seriously. Like marshmallow fluffy meatballs…. a bit on the salty side, but totally soft and not much texture to it. I like a meatball that tastes meaty with chew but the flavors were there – just a bit too mushy…

pulpo a la gallega

octopus with olive oil & sweet spanish pimenton

OMG. WHY was there a BOOGER texture on the bottoms of them? I had one piece and was soo turned off – which was sad because the taste was good but texture wise is so wrong. The top parts tasted like regular chewy octopus but the bottom.. gag

tosta choricera

toasted bread, egg & chorizo

This may have been the best dish of the night.  A bit greasy from all the chorizo.. but the yolky egg was amazing. The toast was crisp but which there was more to it than just two pieces of toasted white wonder bread. This made my tummy hurt later from all the grease, but SO worth it!!!

arroz negro

black rice with white fish, shrimp clams and mussels in sofrito, green peas, piquillo peppers & alioli

Didn’t see fish in it but it did have some cute scallops that were pretty tender.  Sadly only the alioli made it.. and I hate mayo… the mussel I had tasted really bad and not fresh at all… and the rice was way undercooked :[ Sadness since we just had squid ink pasta the day before and thoroughly enjoyed squid ink.

I left feeling empty and unsatisfied.

Why are they getting such good reviews? Now I’m sad.. time to put up my squid ink pasta recipe :D

I’m in l♥ve… Ai Fiori

“Ai Fiori” directly translated from Italian means… “to the flowers…” which is exactly what you see when you walk into this restaurant…. “Located a short walk up The Setai Fifth Avenue lobby’s sweeping grand staircase to the second floor, Ai Fiori’s ambiance is elegant yet welcoming. The restaurant’s striking floral arrangements and décor will embrace you in warmth and refinement. Setai“

Z and I are and have been huge fans of Michael White…. while we still need to try Marea [who could resist Uni and Lardo on Crostini <3] Convivio has been at the top of our favorite go-to spots of pasta… now that Michael isn’t linked to Convivio anymore [sadness… wonder if it’s still good?!] we need a replacement….. Ai Fiori with it’s French/Italian flair “Franco-Italian gem” completely fills that void!!! [we actually met Michael at SobeWFF’11 the next night!!!! And ate at his Dolce brunch at the Delano hotel the following day… BEST EVERRRRR!!!]

I had never been to the Setai Hotel before. It’s really pretty…. my cabbie was actually really funny he was so into telling me about my chinese astrology [he was Indian methinks] and even whipped out a book to read to me while driving. Mad funny. He was telling me who my future hubby was gonna be and compatibility and how my current relationship was. TOO FUNNY. Kinda freaky tho too…. he dropped me off two blocks away. I was just happy to get out…. still, a fun cab ride

“A winning defense of fine dining from the chef Michael White offers a soulful amalgamation of French technique and Italian passion” NYT

Above two pictures stolen from google search :]

Olive Bread and MultiGrain Bread

French and Olive Bread

Olive breads were good – I’m a sucker for olive bread anyways :D Always a good choice.. the multigrain just tasted super healthy… I like my multigrains with big chunks of seeds in it :] Good texture, it was pretty good nonetheless tho… [finer grains] and the French Bread was just…. french bread… after Blue Hill bread from Vday, though, other breads just can’t compare……. still dreaming about Maze bread tho….

Amuse Bouche — Parsnip Rosemary Soup

It was okay, but since we didn’t order it I didn’t mind not liking it. It was too much milk/cream for me. Kind of like thick thick frothy lukewarm cream with too much rosemary in it..

[sidenote: We ordered a delicious bottle of Spanish red – Bold & Spicy just the way we like it…. but forgot to take a pic, OOPS – I’m distracted by dinner date & good food ;D]

Mare e Monte

diver scallops, celery root, black truffles, bone marrow, thyme

Amazing. Simply amazing. I am coming back again for this. Perfectly cooked, thinly sliced scallops atop pureed celery root. The celery root was sooooo creamy and buttery… the scallops were sandwiched between black truffle slices and topped off with strips of bone marrow. OH EM GEE.Every bite made my heart skip a beat.

Crudo di Passera

line caught fluke, sea urchin, ligurian lemon oil, sturgeon caviar

Paper thin, super fresh.. the light pop of the caviar, light light AMAZING fruity citrusy evoo and the amazing crunch and “heaviness” to the light bite of the fried uni. OMG. So well pairing of flavors and textures.  Very very delicious.

Since the Uovo [the poached egg] we wanted was OUT for the night we had our waitress pick a surprise app dish for us…. we were between too many dishes.. Foie? Squab? Sardines? Crab?

Unfortunately the one she picked was the one at the bottom of our list of to-eats….

Ostriche

poached wellfleet oysters, cucumber, sturgeon caviar, beurre blanc

The sauce overpowered the oyster… I wish it was either hot or cold but it was lukewarm… kind of weird… the caviar made it too fishy tasting so it just tasted like a goopy butter fishy thing. :T But I didn’t choose it and neither did Z sooooooooo we had no one to blame but the waitress hahaha jk :D She was a sweetheart and took it off the bill for us. I like my oysters raw or cooked in Taiwanese food… [oyster pancakes FTW]… the only time I ever liked poached oysters was last year at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon….

Tartufo Nero

riso acquarello, parmigiano, black truffle, veal jus

Since Z and I share the same brain [he’s a brain sucking eating stealer zombie] we’re both obsessed with squid ink pasta…. so NATURALLY we’d be getting it if it’s on the menu :D The bread crumbs were amazing and the pasta was so perfectly cooked.  OMG it was so simple and delicate, yet bold and just BAM in your mouth as you chewed the black bits of heaven. In love <3

Gnochetti

saffron gnocchi, crab, sea urchin

This is NOT your typical gnocchi. Not pillows of potato fluffs.. BUT the gnocchi was just sooooo tender, delicate and cooked PERFECT. It tasted of the sea… but in the most amazing way.  Chunks of uni and sea urchin mixed in with every yummy bite. I wanted to lick the bowl clean.

Astice

butter poached nova scotia lobster, root vegetable fondant, chateau chalon sauce

New York Times on Foursquare told us to get poached lobster. One of the few and last times I got flavor-poached lobster it was meh too… not that this was bad, just didn’t taste like what it was poached in… per usual. Z and I are both New England babies at heart… Bostonians FTW, so we KNOW our lobster. And we know what we like. Nothing like a fresh steamed lobster. No gimmicks just tasty tasty lobster meat… THAT or sashimi <3 Anyways.. this lobster was cooked well…. the sauce was a bit on the salty side tho so I tried not to eat too much of it. I loved the baby balls of carrots and cippolinis.. :D It’s the little things in lief… hahaha

SO our original plan was to get the poached egg app [which came with sweetbreads] THEREFORE without sweetbreads overload, w were gonna opt for the beef cheeks. cuz, hey they’re beef cheeks… a bit iffy on the flavors… but I love cow :] And beef cheeks are sooooooo tender adn soft <3 ANYWAYS…

Plans changed. We ordered this insead… sounded yummier PLUS…. a delicious sweetbread sauce!!!

Vitello

amish veal chop “au four”, sweetbread-choux farci, sauce perigueux

A tad bit over-salted and perhaps over-spiced but it was very delicious, cooked really well….. [extra rare] The little sauerkraut filled cabbage was kinda mehhhh tho. I didn’t like it at all :[ I ate so much of this. Thanks to Bobby I ADORE veal like no other now… nothing like eating a whole cow to change your mind about these things…. sorry PETA

C oulant di Cioccolato

warm chocolate sformato, lemon-honey, stracciatella gelato

As soon as I cut into it, the chocolate LITERALLY squirted out of it. LITERALLY SQUIRT SQUIRT <3 Warm, chocolatey and delicious. AND of course, Z knew I love stracciatella gelato [fav gelato flavor] so we HAD to get this :] Hahaha.. Z has such a good memory :]

orta di Olio

ligurian olive oil cake, ricotta, pear confit, port, gelato al caffé

I loved the coffee gelato it was really good… the cake itself wasn’t as fluffy or olive oily as I thought. No fruity evoo exuded from it :[ Sad. I was thinking a delicious olive tasting angel cake… it was also not moist enough. It was…. damp at best. But not moist.

AMAZINGLY MEMORABLE DELICIOUS DINNER

Great experience with great company… will definitely be up there in the top food memories :]

I love you Michael White, you never do me wrong – esp with your pasta <3

Kin Shop with a Top Chef

Why is it taking me so long to write this? I started this last week and I’m still working on it. Not to mention my Macbook is dead and it’s snowstorming outside so I can’t go get it fixed. #$%^ Anyways taking a break from work [busy day] to finish this up and post it before everyone leaves from work.

_________

I swear our host was Seth Rogan…. I got there earlier than Z and waited by the door…

I swear just like that but with a little more facial hair… except, altho the light was dim, the host was super ginger… :] But yeah, he looked like him and sounded like him and even had almost the same awesome laugh as Seth. Not the same kind of Seth Rogan charm [but close] if I was an obsessive Seth Rogan fan I probably would’ve tried to bone him right then and there.. thankfully I wasn’t and I patiently waited for my date to arrive.

We’ve been in food depression. Deep deep food depression. So much so that, in fact, we were supposed to be eating a delicious 5-course meal at Public tonight but instead we decided that it was too “close to home” from our previous two dinners [which, food-wise left us wanting]…. and opted for some Asian. Somehow we both craved Asian and decided on the Thai inspired Kin Shop

Vinegar and Hot Spices

We started off with some beers… because… wine and curry? Meh, doesn’t really sound super tasty to me…

Full Sail Session Premium Lager

Z had a pour fail hahahaha and it exploded everywhere… it’s okay, still tasty… but look how cute it’s little bump is :] *Everyone go awwwwww*

Uncommon Brewers, Siamese Twin Ale, California

Belgian Style Double / Amber / Infused Lemongrass & Kaffir Lime / Smooth

The latter, the Siamese Twin Ale was a little too sweet for my liking but had great lime flavors….. but I mainly stuck with the first one… :]

We said around, I talked about our host being Seth Rogan for awhile and I searched around for the famed Top Chef chef/owner. We ordered [a lot] and then waited for it to come.. and come it did – and all at once…..

First up? The MAIN dish we came here for:

[Backstory: Z sent me a magazine article about Kin Shop and with a HUGE picture of their sexy “special” bone marrow…. we knew then and there that we HAD to come to Kin and we HAD to get the marrow.. The End.]

Roasted Bone Marrow

Crisp Taro Root, Radish Sprouts, Roti & Yellow Bean Sauce

It lived up to our expectations and more….. it was the most complicated exquisite and yet delicious and still SIMPLY BONE MARROW dish ever.  A nice creamy asuce with some sprouts to add freshness and crunch….  and little melt-in-your-mouth taro crisps… the bone marrow was melty and so liquidy I was sucking it out – LITERALLY… sucking the juice outta the bone ;D No other non-pervy way to put it.

Their Roti Canai is crisp, greasy and to die for:

Squid Ink & Hot Sesame Oil Soup

Squid, Ground Brisket & Snake Beans

This was delicious!!!! It looks like black sesame soup or just black ink but it was full of flavor – just a hint of heat/spice and perfectly cooked tender squid rings with ground brisket inside them.  The beans were still crunchy and perfectly cooked…. yum yum yum, I drank a lot of this :]

Hand Cut Beef Tartar

Chili Jam, Rice Crackers, Quail Egg & Mushroom Soy Sauce

The beef was a little underseasoned but perfectly handcut, chunky, fresh and well… fresh :] Can’t beat fresh raw beef… I wasn’t too fond of the rice crackers, neither was Z, he liked the beef with the sauce, I on the other hand just sprinkled some of the hot spices on my bites.

A Dirty Dirty Extra Dirty Martini for Z :]

Tasted it, tasted like yummy olives :] I don’t usually like classic dirty martinis but this was good

Gamay, Terres Dorees, FRV 100, 2009

Bleh. I hated it, sooo sweet – not what I wanted at ALL.. I stuck to my Session beer….

Red: Roasted Duck Breast

Crispy Roti, Green Mango, Fresh Herbs & Tamarind Water

Fatty, nicely cooked *rare* duck but there was nothing really special about it. The sauce didn’t stand out either… just tasted like fatty rare duck. Definitely needed the basil and mint that came with it… I was disappointed and only had like 2 or 3 pieces….

Jungle: Bamboo Shoots

Pickled Green Peppercorns, Romanesco Cauliflower, Bitter Melon & Wood Ear Mushrooms

Looks like a small portion but the flavor was NOT lacking.. .full of different textures and nice heat [altho not overly spicy like usual Jungle Curries I get, this was great!!!… and perfect for the unfamiliar] Fresh bamboo and bitter melon drew me into this dish – they were cubed, and the bitter melon was really subtle but this was delicious. Jungle curry is pretty healthy too :]

Sour Yellow: Steamed Rabbit Leg

Multi-Grain Rice, Eggplant Chutney & Thai Basil

My favorite curry of the night. I LOOOOVE rabbit and once again this bunny did NOT disappoint. I could suck and pick at it all day. The meat was fall off the bone tender and it was the first time I’ve had a sour yellow curry before. It was really tasty. I’m not a HUGE fan of coconutty curries but this I liked :] It was mild enough to go with the delicate flavors of the rabbit as well… just a tiny hint of tang at the end.

Massaman: Braised Goat

Fried Shallots, Purple Yams, Mustard Greens & Toasted Coconut

Pretty sure this was Z’s favorite curry of the night..this was delicious. So nice and goaty but not too gamey. The meat was SOOOO tender and fatty it like, LITERALLY, melted in my mouth upon entering.

And before I show you my picture with the first Top Chef winner ever.. Chef Harold Dietierle and before anyone asks me, I’ll say it first, I DON’T KNOW WHY IT LOOKS LIKE I’M GRABBING MY CROTCH!!!….

He’s definitely shorter in person than I imagined, but then again I’m a giant….:] He was super nice and I rambled and bumbled along [like I always do when I get excited over meeting a chef] And we actually had a decent tiny little convo. *squeal*

It was exciting and the waiter thought I was nervous but I was just excited…

“He doesn’t bite that hard”

Since the dessert menu consisted of just ice creams and sorbets we decided to hit up Eataly for some snacks and gelato….. [btw Kin Shop, please serve some sticky mango rice<3 Kthanx!]

So sad because they’re not really ugly. Besides, with heirlooms, the uglier the yummier….

AND OMFG… PINTS OF DUCK FAT <3

I am so happy <3 I wanted to make love to the duck fat…. 

After wandering all thru Eataly Z and I got us some cheeses… mangalista fatty meats… [NOM! Greasy lips] some fresh pastas [NOM!], Butter, Gelato annnnd….

FIGGY BREAD!!!

ANNND a fresh Sea Urchin… nothing like fresh Uni to end the drunken night with :] We bought a bottle of Prosecco and after I danced around in the snow storm like a little snow hippie we had fresh uni…[after I freaked out looking for his eye and it MOVED on me….]

Prettttyyy <3

Convivio, Best of the Best

Dear Chef Michael White… you have made me fall in love with pasta all over again. For me, Italian food is something I have to be in the mood for, but I can see me coming to Convivio over and over and over again, just for your food… and your amazing perfect pasta. I haven’t had such amazing pasta, maybe ever [aside from the homeland in Rome], since dell’anima…. and I still keep pushing Scarpetta back… but I think my heart now lies here…. in your creations.

Convivio is the new Southern Italian restaurant from Chris Cannon and Chef Michael White. A restaurant rich in conviviality, flavor and passion, this acclaimed restaurant offers a pure translation of soulful dining—the Southern Italian way. Inspired by warm memories of Italian kitchens and the country’s unforgettable flavors—tomatoes, pancetta, sea urchin, and pesto—White’s menu travels through Italy’s Southern towns and creatively interprets revered recipes. Located in Manhattan’s charming Tudor City neighborhood, in the space of their former award-winning L’Impero, Convivio offers guests an irresistible opportunity to dine leisurely, sensuously and with gusto.

My date arrived later than me so I sat down first and ordered some champagne, a nice bubbly glass of Brut Nicolas Feuillatte NV

Delicious whole wheat bread with a burnt crust and the most amazing extra virgin olive oil to dip it in – EVER…. I was in love and ate at least 4 pieces of bread that night… amazing.. I could bath in that oil and lick it off my toes…. oh wait, TMI?

Delicious delicious wine

2006 Etna Rosso ‘A Rina Girolamo Russo

Round One

Barbabietole
beets, mozzarella, almonds

The creamy mozzarella combined with the earthy roasted beets [cooked perfectly might I add] and then the crunch of the almonds – delicious. I am a sucker for fresh mozzarella… everytime I buy a huge ball of it, it never lasts for more than a day… aside from homemade pizzas and homemade caprese salads… I just eat it like there’s no tomorrow…

Insalata di Mare

warm seafood salad, caper berries, lemon

I wouldn’t call it a “salad” perse but it was a nice light combo of seafood… perfectly cooked shellfish with a nice crusty garlic bread on the side. Didn’t really notice the caper berries or lemon too much but it was amazing nonetheless…

Arancini

saffron risotto croquettes

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. The first time I had one of these was in Denver at duo… and since then I was hooked. These were even simpler than the duo ones… a light dusting of cheese atop the perfectly fried risotto balls… orgasmic.

TMI ALERT TMI ALERT — A certain someone once suggested me eating a Bahn Mi, drinking bubble tea and getting some loving = Ultimate — tempting but I think these would be even better ;D Hahaha…

Round Two

Zuppa di Ceci

chickpea soup, pig trotters, escarole

Tenderly cooked chickpeas [garbanzos, whichever — you say toe-may-toe I say toe-ma-toe] A delicious thick, but light, blended – super creamy – chickpea soup, almost chowder like, with nice tender veggies, some crunchy buttery garlicky [best word ever] croutons… not sure where the pig trotters were tho… pureed in the soup? irregardless… droool* I licked the bowl clean [obviously]

Polipo

tomato braised octopus, polenta, asiago

I love octopus and while there was more polenta than anything else on the plate, the octopussy was tender… and the polenta was AMAZING… I gobbled it all up!!!

Polpettine en Brodo

pork meatballs, broccoli rabe, ricotta salata

You know I’m obsessed with meatballs….  Obsessed… ;D These were tender, succulent and oh so tasty… love love lovessss… mine are still better tho ;D

Round Pasta [aka Three]

Then came the pasta dishes…. dinner date and I actually ended up ordering TWO more pasta dishes because they were so so tiny…  I’m a growing girl [horizontally] and I need my carbs!!!!…

Malloreddus

sardinian saffron, gnocchetti, crab, sea urchin

MMMM…. love gnocchi, love Sardinia [speaking of which, still need to go to that special restaurant to eat in the wine cellar with that certain someone…… I was stupid not to go last time I was offered to…. sigh*; and then there’s that Sardinia episode of No Reservations when Anthony Bourdain goes to his wifey’s homeland and that SEXY gooey cheesy scene… effing orgasmic…]  and of course, crab + Uni are just……. breathtaking…. the uni was super subtle, whereas if I didn’t know it was already in there, I wouldn’t be looking for it…. but the gnocchi was magnificent and perfectly cooked.

Orecchiette Nero

squid ink pasta, seppia ragu, lardo, broccoli rabe

SOOOO good…. I’m a huge fan of squid ink pasta, maybe it’s just the blackness of it, but I’m convinced the flavor is just as fantastic… and then of course… LARDO.. freaking LARDO… and broccoli rabe…. :D

This is when I ordered another set of pasta dishes.. still hungry for more carbs…..

AHH, this was the special of the day… totally forgot what it was… some squash tortellini – I remember it being a bit too sweet for me….. so I only ate a little bit of it and gave it all to the dinner date….

But then it gave me plenty of time to focus on my gorgeous….

Maccheroni alla Carbonara

pancetta, pecorino, scallion, egg, black pepper

The first time I ever had carbonara was my sophomore year in college… one of my close friends, Dave Choi, made me the most delicious and memorable dinner of my life. This was one one of the first meals that made me really fall in love with cooking… and truly appreciate egg yolk for more than a sunny-side up. This was also the first time I learned about pancetta.. and bacon being the lamer, but still good, substitute… since then, this is my go-to meal when I only have a few simple ingredients to create something wonderful… I even got my dad to fall in love with carbonara… and he hates cheese [except on pizza]

Round Four

My choice, a delicious side of Funghi Arrosto

wild mushrooms, garlic

I could never resist mushrooms.. altho I DO find while getting them in restaurants, they’re often too oily… but nonetheless, while they WERE, they were SO flavorful and there was SO many varieties of ‘shrooms… oh joy <3

Along side it, the “MAIN” course of the night… the duck.. quack quack… I’ve had so much pig that I decided to stick with duck and just duck as the main course [altho now I kinda wish I had gotten the suckling crispy piggie as well ;D hehe… The glutton in me…

Anatra

long island duck breast, grilled sausage, sunchokes, apples

Look at that perfect balance of skin, fat and rare medium rare meat… Delightful… not super memorable, but good

The night ended on a sour note with the date, so I opted to skip dessert… [altho I already had my choices picked out] … I paid the bill and we left in a hussy….

One a side note… when I went to the restroom…

SOOO many rolls of toilet paper to choose from on the wall…. Awesome, yet… why?

“Like a Dinner Party at Home with Close Friends..”

Welcome to the first Miss Tiffie & R [he’s in green] reviewed blog entry :] ENJOY!!!

I’ve been waiting for the right time to go to Craigie on Main for awhile.. every time I think of it, it’s already booked for the weekend [boo] so thankfully I booked about 5 days ahead of time – and even then it was full til 9pm. Well, the ONLY opening was 9pm. Or 5pm [R got a reso for that time] — anyways. We decided to go to the 9pm since we wanted to go to Tea Time. After wanting everything and then some from the menu we decided that the best way to go this time was the Chef’s 10-Course tasting.. with additions of course [it’s how we roll]

Eat out and feel at home. Chef Tony Maws – James Beard Nominee for Best Chef, Northeast – combines French-inspired “nose -to-tail refined rusticity” with a ”no exceptions” commitment to local, seasonal, & organic or natural ingredients.

I love everything about this place. The food, the atmosphere, the people… they cook sustainably and cook what they find that day that’s fresh – which is why their menu changes daily…. even their DRINKS are made from only the freshest in-season ingredient… so awesome :] I’m such a huge supporter of places like this…. [read more about them here] this place is easily one of my favorite places to go in Boston now :]

R: Into Craigie with a huge appetite (we spent a lot of energy shopping
after tea time). A restaurant with a menu changing daily and large
supporters of local farmers. We quickly scan the menu and see the
obvious items that pop out at us. Towards the bottom we see the 10
course chef’s choice tasting menu and decided we wanted to be
surprised. We had some additional items just make sure we covered all
our bases on our Craigie experience.

Montlouis Brut – Francois Chidaine

R: As always we like to start off with some bubbly to wake our taste buds
and get our appetites ready.